Combat vets protest Distinguished Warfare Medal

Ranking of remote warfare honor above Purple Heart under review

Members of the U.S. Army Special Forces Green Berets salute during a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's designation of the name of the Special Forces Green Berets, Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)
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Members of the U.S. Army Special Forces Green Berets salute during a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's designation of the name of the Special Forces Green Berets, Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)
/ AP

This image released by the Defense Department shows the obverse view with ribbon of the newly announced Distinguished Warefare Medal. The military has stopped production of a new medal for remote warfare troops _ drone operators and cyber warfighters _ as it considers complaints from veterans and lawmakers over the award, a government official said Tuesday. (AP Photo/Department of Defense)— AP

This image released by the Defense Department shows the obverse view with ribbon of the newly announced Distinguished Warefare Medal. The military has stopped production of a new medal for remote warfare troops _ drone operators and cyber warfighters _ as it considers complaints from veterans and lawmakers over the award, a government official said Tuesday. (AP Photo/Department of Defense)
/ AP

The Special Operations Association and its more than 3,000 members nationwide have joined a chorus of combat veterans lobbying to downgrade the Pentagon’s new medal for drone pilots and cyber warriors, the group announced Thursday.

The Defense Department introduced the Distinguished Warfare Medal on Feb. 13 to recognize contributions by remote war fighters. During the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, unmanned aerial vehicles and their stateside operators played an increasingly pivotal role in surveillance and targeting, redefining modern warfare.

But detractors of the so-called “Nintendo Medal” were offended that it was given precedence above the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with “V” device, both of which are awarded to troops who risked life and limb in actual combat.

Association president John S. Meyer, of Oceanside, said: "Failure to lower the priority of the Distinguished Warfare Medal will have a debilitating effect on the morale not just of our members but also on all combat troops.”

Production of the medal ceased this month. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered a review to be completed within 30 days.

Last month, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, a Marine combat veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee, introduced a resolution to downgrade the medal below a Purple Heart. H.R. 833 now has more than 100 cosponsors and has been referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

In a letter to Hunter, the Special Operations Association urged him to keep pushing the resolution. “It is vital for H.R. 833 to be passed into law to assure this insult to those who have fought on the battlefields and sacrificed for our country cannot be repeated,” the letter says. “We have a vested interest paid for with the blood of our members and those who have gone before us.”

The Special Operations Association, which is composed mostly of Army Green Beret veterans, adopted its own resolution this month, joining in protest against the medal with the U.S. Air Force Air Commando, Army Special Forces, Marine Force Recon and Navy UDT-SEAL associations, as well as the Veterans of Foreign Wars.